Forbidden practices, food, and drinks in Islam Research Paper

Forbidden practices, food, and drinks in Islam - Research Paper Example In the western world and in other major religion dating and premarital sex is generally accepted but this is a forbidden act among Muslims. Young persons of the opposite sex are not allowed to be together by themselves. One could question how does a relationship develops between young persons which can lead to marriage. There is a systematic way in which this can be done. Persons of the same sex are encouraged to foster good friendships that they will have for a lifetime. Through these friendships they will get to know families of their friends and this can lead to potential marriage at the appropriate time. Marriage just does not happen as is the practice of couples who are non-Muslims. It follows a pattern. Firstly the young person inquires of Allah as to who the person should be. He asks for spiritual help in finding the right person. On a personal level the family communicates among the members of the family who the partner should be. It is normal for the parents to approach anot her family where there is a potential partner. Even after the couple and the family decide that the marriage should take place, the two persons who have decided to marry will never meet alone, by themselves. They always have to be accompanied by others. This action is a direct command given by the Prophet Muhammad who warns against the potential danger of two unmarried persons of the opposite sex meeting alone. â€Å"Not one of you should meet a woman alone unless she is accompanied by a relative. Whenever a man is alone with a woman, Satan is the third among them.† Muslims are forbidden to marry blood relatives or persons from another religion. Blood relatives include parents, sisters, brothers, foster parents, in-laws, maternal and paternal uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews. There are some days which Muslims do not chose to get married. Days such as the day when the death of the Prophet is commemorated and other days of mourning are forbidden days for persons who are gettin g married. There are some sexual acts that are forbidden even between married couples. One of the most common one is the law of Islam that forbids men to have sexual intercourse with their wives during the time of their menstrual periods. This law is mentioned in the Quran. â€Å"Menstruation is a discomfort. Do not establish sexual relations with them during their menses and do not approach them until the blood stops. Then when they have cleansed themselves, you go into them as Allah has commanded you. There is a technical period and terminology that goes with the definition for menstruation. It is not considered to be menstruation if the bleeding occurs less than three day. It is called menstruation if it runs between three and ten days. Similarly a woman who has a menstrual period for over ten days can have sexual relations with her husband on the eleventh day since this would be termed as irregular bleeding. Husbands are also not allowed to have sex with their wives during the day in the month of Ramadan, for ten days after the woman has given birth and also during the time the couple is on pilgrimage to Mecca. Homosexuality and other unnatural sexual acts are strictly forbidden in Islam. There is also reference in the Quran about homosexuality. â€Å"Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.†